The Birth of a Windows Dummy
By: David Sparks, Associate Editor
David’s own blog macsparky.com
When I bought my first Mac just eleven months ago, I was excited to learn OS X and walk away from all the trouble that Windows had become. However, I had no idea just how far down the rabbit hole I was about to fall. In the intervening time, I bought an iMac for my daughter, my wife’s PC died resulting in a new MacBook for her, and now it has been months since the Windows splash screen (or BSOD) has reared its ugly head in my home. Windows, you are dead to me.
Anyway, because I have not been using a windows box, I seem to be quickly forgetting all that I once knew about running Windows. A few days ago, my sister called with a PC question. Specifically, she wanted to set up a few “one click” links on my mom’s Dell. My mom might do one click, but three are out of the question. Anyway, I’m sure there is a way to do this in windows (or not) and I’m also sure that last January I probably would have known how. But after using OS X for awhile, I’ve forgotten most of the little scotch tape and bubble gum tricks that I used to keep my Windows boxes running. It is like the area of my brain that kept such information was as eager to dump it as I was to throw away my Norton disk. Anyway, I’ve become a PC dummy and, strangely, I’m okay with that. I’m even a bit pleased. “Sorry Sis, I’m a Mac guy now. I’ve got no clue.”
November 16th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
This is very funny, and I can relate, even though I’m only 6 months into my Mac life. I’m still more of a “slider” since I’m forced to use Windows at work (XP) and, my son got a new machine (since he is a gamer his new Dell is running Vista). My brain freezes when I sit down to his machine, and at work I keep trying to do things I can do at home on my iMac. I’m finding that even though I must still use Windows, I can feel my knowledge of all things Windows being squeezed out. I think OSX is healing me and pushing out the festering sliver that has been paining me for decades.
November 17th, 2007 at 3:24 am
I think this is normal for a separation process, leaving Windows behind. Having switched a few years ago, I remember I first was fed up with Windows, and didn’t want to hear about it. Now this feeling has calmed down, and I can see Windows is a viable OS for many people. It isn’t my choice, but I don’t want to impose my beliefs on other people. They have to figure it out on themselves what works best for them. If they get frustrated about Windows and viruses, I point out that there are alternatives, such as Linux and Mac OS X.
And strangely enough, when I was asked to do something with a Windows box for someone who is considered the tech support by his friends and family, I actually enjoyed learning new things about Windows and getting something done without prior knowledge of Windows. It learned me that the difference between Windows and Mac OS X is as big as marketing and pundits tell us. Because both systems are so alike, I could apply what I’ve learned on the Mac, with some modifications, to Windows.
No need to dumb yourself down if you step over to the “light side”.
November 17th, 2007 at 4:15 am
I know how you feel and isn’t it liberating? 20 years of PC wisdom evaporating so quickly. I know I’m going to be on a Windows box at some point in the future in some business environment but for now its great and in the future I’ll just be clueless like every other Windows user. Errrr meaning I won’t be tempted to tinker, of course.
November 17th, 2007 at 9:39 am
LOL! Yeah thats the way PC work. I love my mac. Yeah…. Now What?…
November 19th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Always wondered why Apple does not use this. One argument that I have used (with some success) with potential switchers that use a Windows machine at work is that having a Mac means that you don’t feel that you are logging into your Work machine when you launch your home machine.
Just a few days ago, someone asked me how to do something - it was something that can be done fairly easily on a Mac (combining pdf files in preview) but is quite a pain to do in Windows. Found myself explaining that you did A and B on the Mac but that you needed to do, X + Y divided by Z unless you were using W2, where you would have to maybe do XZ but maybe it would not work …